warner. >> osgood: good morning. i'm charles osgood and this is a special edition of sunday morning. it's our annual food issue. an open invitation to eat, drink and be merry. with just four days to go until thanksgiving time is growing short for preparing a. fortunately between tv shows and websites and social media, there's more advice available on food and cooking than ever before. in fact, it's a veritable feeding frenzy. as lee cowan will be reporting in our sunday morning cover story. >> i think i have the best job in the world. >> reporter: we're in the kitchen with wolfgang asking him and others just how we got so obsessed with food. >> i feel like foodism has hit a

critical mass in the past five, ten years. >> reporter: the nation's feeding frenzy ahead on sunday morning. oh, wow, that is so good. >> osgood: a controversial baking ingredient could be the next big growth industry, or so the voters of two western states seem too believe. of course, there's the fact that it currently violates federal law. this morning barry pederson takes an arm's length look. >> right now what you want to do is like anything else my grandmother told me, always taste the food. >> reporter: but you may need a doctor's permission to taste this food. pepper with a pinch of pot. later on sunday morning, marijuana as a cook's new secret ingredient. >> osgood: it's no secret that outstanding food is easy to find in the biggiesy. and easy does it is actor john goodman's motto ever since he adopted new orleans as his home. this morning he talks with our

michelle miller. >> you and i will be sitting in the fabled cat bird seat. >> reporter: he's a memorable character actor who is also a memorable character. >> i'm a cheap blusher. reporter: see for yourself. ahead on sunday morning. reporter: a taste of new orleans with john goodman. >> yeah! more. >> osgood: a perfect batch of foods on the plate is what every cook strives for. martha teichner will explore how it's done. >> whether it's bread and butter or steak and wine or milk and cookies. those are old friends. >> reporter: like peas and carrots, friends for good reason. >> peanut and pickle sandwich is a sandwich that my father always ate. >> reporter: peanut butter and pickle? >> it's magnificent. reporter: ahead this sunday morning, what goes with what and what doesn't. >> osgood: diners at one restaurant are forever staking a

claim, you could say, to the honor of polishing off one enormous slab of beef. bill geist has gob to see for himself. >> reporter: you're driving through the texas panhandle thinking you're hungry enough to eat a cow when signs point you to a place where you can do just that. free. >> it's the big 72-ounce steak. reporter: ahead on sunday morning,... >> come on, you can do it. reporter: ... a mecca of meat. >> osgood: as always there's much more on the menu. but first the headlines for this sunday morning the 18th of november, 2012. continuing to broker a cease-fire between the israelis and the palestinians but earlier today israel shot down another hamas rocket aimed at tel aviv. israeli air strikes continue against hamas strongholds in gaza. divers searching for the two missing workers from an oil platform that caught fire in the gulf of mexico on friday have recovered a body near the site.

four other workers are hospitalized with severe burns. president obama has arrived in thailand. his first stop on a three-day trip that includes the first visit to myanmar by a u.s. president. outspoken new jersey governor chris christie has been getting around. last night he was on saturday night live. he thanked his state's rescue and relief workers for their efforts during hurricane sandy. he then offered a critique of super storm tv coverage. >> i also do not want to thank the reporters that put themselves in danger by walking into the middle of a hurricane with their cameras. we don't need you to tell us there's a hurricane. we have windows. >> osgood: here's the day's weather forecast. mostly clear and mild pept in the pacific northwest where they're getting an early taste of winter. the week ahead will grow cooler although it should remain sunny. >> let's face it.

osgood: next the united states of food. and later john goodman and michelle miller eating well in new,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

>> osgood: millions of americans appear to be caught up in a feeding frenzy. they're not just cooking food and eating food. they're talking food, almost nonstop only pausing to take a bite. our cover story is reported now by lee cowan.

>> how long are we going to hang that back here. >> reporter: when celebrated she have wolfgang renovated his famous restaurant in beverly hills, there was a buzz i didn't quite get. >> is that the new recipe for the short bread? let's taste it. >> reporter: don't get me wrong. i love a good restaurant. but i'm by no means a foodie. in fact, i clam up when i'm expected to talk about food in any intelligent manner beyond mmmmm. i've never had a lobster like that. >> you're still very young. reporter: chef puck endured my lack of food sophistication with a smile. he tried to explain why everyone else, it seems, is talking about, blogging about, even insta gramming their food. >> today people really know about food. they read about food. they see it on television. they know what good quality is. all of a sudden now food and wine have become one of the

premiere conversation pieces. >> reporter: and the reason for all the talk has little to do with what's in your refrigerator. >> a chance to make a delicious global and innovative. >> reporter: it's your cable box. >> television made such a big impact of the way we eat in america today. i mean, it has changed the whole climate of eating totally and for the better. >> reporter: when julia child took to the air waves, it seemed cooking shows appealed more to the golf and opera crowd. >> we're going to make beef stew in red wine. >> reporter: now food is cool. even edgy. >> i love apples in in this. amazing. >> reporter: as much about pop culture. a frenzy fueled by social media. >> everybody is a restaurant critic. >> reporter: everybody? everybody. so if you mess up a meal today, you can see maybe 200, 300

people know it already before i go to sleep because this guy or this woman tweeted it to all their friends. >> reporter: look what happened this past week when a "new york times" critic took a less than charitable bite out of celebrity chef's new restaurant. it became instant water cooler fodder. >> people just seemed completely and totally obsessed with food. everybody is talking about it. >> reporter: this woman is a free lance writer and food blogger, part of the food mafia, as she calls it, who sought out a hipster hangout in the industrial section of los angeles to chat. >> i feel like foodiism has hit a critical mass in the past five, ten years. it's been said many times but i'll say it again. food really is the new rock. >> reporter: and the new groupies are who? >> the foodies. the foodies and me. >> reporter: the food landscape of today, she explains, is as much about social experience as

it is sustenance. >> when you come into a place and you know the story behind whatever it you're eating and you know the story behind the chef and you're in this really kind of cool space and you get to chitchat with people around you. it really is about an experience and a feeling more than an actual thing itself. >> reporter: that seems especially true of young people whose social lives increasingly revolve around eating out. >> i will probably spend $150 on a tasting menu before i would spend $150 on a rolling stones reunion tour. i'm not alone in that sentiment. actually i really love the stones. i shouldn't say that. >> reporter: eating out comes before almost anything else. either way what makes the perfect dish? >> you're going to serve up a little soy sauce on the side or what. >> reporter: can still be a bit mysterious much like the people who spend their lives in search of that secret for a living. >> i think the more people think about what they're eating, the better. >> reporter: pulitzer prize

winner jonathan gold is the restaurant critic for the l.a. times. he says he needs to keep his anonimity so he doesn't get preferential treatment from chefs. >> i think that there is a recognition that the best food isn't necessarily what you're going to get at the white table cloth restaurant. >> reporter: what gold noticed more than anything in the last few years is good food is where you find it. >> your burrito. reporter: case in point. food troughs. they've driven their way into the hearts and stomachs of foodies everywhere. farmers markets are teeming, thanks in part to the first lady. >> we need a wheel bear owe. reporter: she's made her vegetable garden as recognizable as the rose garden. in short foodies aren't part of an exclusive club anymore. >> whenever you're ready, when they don't want you at cbs anymore, you can come and work with us. >> reporter: food is now an every person's hobby. it can even be mine.

oh, wow. that is so good. >> osgood: some noodling around next. we understand. , at usaa, we know military life is different. we've been there. that's why every bit of financial advice we offer is geared specifically to current and former military members and their families. [ laughs ] dad! dad! [ applause ] ♪ [ male announcer ] life brings obstacles. usaa brings advice. call or visit us online. we're ready to help. [ male announcer ] the way it moves. the way it cleans. everything about the oral-b power brush is simply revolutionary. oral-b power brushes oscillate, rotate and even pulsate to gently loosen and break up that sticky plaque

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faith salie offers us a sampling. >> reporter: pasta. delicious. ubiquitous. groovy. >> in the world of pasta, it's the other side of the looking glass. everything is absolutely groovy. little hats. >> reporter: architect george legendra finds pasta a delicious departure from the right angles of everyday world. >> everything is squarish, more or less, the tables, chairs, the buildings. >> reporter: he says one of life's simplest foods is far more complex than most of us realize. >> i find that the shapes have amazing to beautiful diagrams you might call them which might inspire you to design a spiraling museum. it's just beautiful.

very well designed. tubular. >> reporter: he spent two years collecting and organizing every type of pasta he could find. 92 different shapes. and captured them all in a book called pasta by design. >> we use mathematics to design buildings. we've done a bridge. we've done art work. now we've done pasta. each fold is is lovingly designed. >> reporter: using computer programs, he describes the design and shape of pastas you might have heard of like, say, spaghetti to those you certainly haven't. take this one. it was named after the italian word for accordian. or this one, italian for priest strangler. >> it's really just trigonometry. one of the crazy things about this project mathematically speaking is that everything is done with two functions. >> reporter: the mathematical function sine and cosine cook up

a pretty interesting recipe in terms of design. >> i would say the invisible mathematics are staggering because they deal with so dynamic things that we can't even fathom. air flows. pressure. temperature. i mean, these are things that are very, very abstract. >> reporter: and if all of this seems a little rich, the design of pasta really does matter, says jacob kennedy, london chef and author of the geometry of pasta. does a different shape of pasta have a different taste? >> different shapes of pasta will interact differently in particular with their sauce and they will give you a different experience. for example, a cream sauce needs a lot of nooks and crannies. you can feel the shape with your tongue when you're eating it. >> reporter: tortellini, legend has it, was modeled after a

certain and tom natural feature of one of the most famous women of the italian renaissance, lucretia borgia. >> she stopped for the night in an inn. the inkeeper looked through the key hole. all he could see was her naval so he ran downstairs and made a pasta in that shape to remember it. >> reporter: that's fantastic. so is next time you're savoring your spaghetti-ini, take a moment to digest its design. >> this is a miracle of simplicity and complexity that happens every day. [ male announcer ] every day, thousands of people, like you, are choosing advil® because it helps you keep doing what you love. no wonder it's america's #1 selling pain reliever. you took action, you took advil®.

and we thank you. thanks to new jif chocolate flavored hazelnut spread. ♪ now anytime of the day can be delicious time. ♪ choosy moms choose jif. bp has paid overthe people of bp twenty-threeitment to the gulf. billion dollars to help those affected and to cover cleanup costs. today, the beaches and gulf are open, and many areas are reporting

their best tourism seasons in years. and bp's also committed to america. we support nearly 250,000 jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. >> osgood: some old world foods are as near as your neighborhood grocery store but others are best sampled overseas with the help of a knowing guide. serena altschul and philip marks are about to help us make that point. >> are you guys coming up here? reporter: new york city has always taken pride in its culture, so it's only fitting that at this trendy new spot, the cultures are alive and active. it is a yogurt shop, after all. >> the goal of this cafe was really to show the possibilities

of yogurt. >> reporter: you heard him. fermted milk is now center stage in one of manhattan's chicest neighborhoods. john heath heads innovation at chobani's. what's the best seller. >> pistachio with chocolate and orange. i mean people absolutely love that one. >> reporter: it's the brand new face of an age old product thousands of years ago, notice mads are thought to have first discovered yogurt. today chobani's chefs say they're discovering it all over again. >> so here we have some cucumber, some ol i have been oil, a little bit of salt and just pure simple yogurt. >> reporter: at the heart of every recipe is chobani's greek yogurt, strained to remove the whey and water. >> thicker. creamy. it adds a great texture.

>> reporter: from richness comes riches. chobani is now the fastest growing yogurt brand in america. and greek yogurt, once a small fraction of the market, will top $1 billion in u.s. sales this year. >> it's very high in protein. it has less sugar. companies have made it absolutely delicious. >> reporter: cornell dairy specialist says they're eating it up in new york state, now home to all the major greek brands. and for local dairy farmers, you might just call it a cash cow. >> there are currently 553 million pounds of yogurt that is manufactured in new york. that's a 140% increase since 2008. >> then we pump it through here. reporter: the next generation of new york yogurt makers is already on the rise. >> we can see here as we lift the lid up that the yogurt is

coming out. >> reporter: this man came here from iceland. he started making yogurt in his small manhattan apartment. >> my early tests were a hit-and-miss at best. >> reporter: very soon the plot thickened. >> we got a call snfort that's a good call to get. today he says he ships to around 2,000 stores nationwide selling about 100,000 cups a week. when you talk about yogurt, your eyes light up and your whole face smiles. >> it's fun. start with putting blueberries. >> reporter: back in man hat afternoon, the folks at chobani are having fun too. >> we go with a little bit of hemp. >> reporter: in fact, they plan to milk it for all it's worth. >> the big question is how high is up? there's only so many feet of space in the yogurt aisle, right? or in the dairy aisle so we

probably will need another aisle. >> reporter: istanbul, an historic crossroads once the center of a vast empire. visitors have flocked here for centuries to enjoy the pretty sights and sounds and these days flavors. >> i think it's very obvious place to go and experience through your stomach. >> reporter: this man from chicago and a new yorker have spent the last decade walking, talking, and eating their way through the streets of istanbul. >> the consumption of food is quite an experience that i think you can't compare to visiting a museum or reading a book. >> reporter: with the rise of culinary tourism, they decided to share the city's flavors. by turning their fascination with food into a business.

their website istanbuleat is is a new kind of guide book aimd at a new kind of traveler. >> i would say it's the easiest way to find the places that you really want to be in, according to us. >> reporter: together they've charted everything from street carts to hole in the wall joints. >> this is really good. reporter: to the local fish markets. >> there is still that shock-and-awe at the first beautiful grilled fish or the plate of... or the stew from the black sea. >> reporter: the two cater to tourists who don't want to feel like tourists. >> they alternate with the cheese guys and the nut guys. >> reporter: by arranging tours through the local alleyways and bazaars. >> come on down this way, folks. reporter: we tagged along on a recent walk led by ms. clark, a ph.d. student from vermont

who now lives in istanbul. joining us is her sons and her husband sam who grew up in indiana. >> i'm really glad i don't know the exact details of what's happening. >> reporter: breakfast was a locapretzeldrizzled in honey. >> it's not about stuffing your face but a narrative that tells the story of the city, the story of the population. that's something that is very enriching for people. >> reporter: and so these two back street gourmets, hoping to replicate istanbul's taste sensation, have recently launched cull matter walking tours worldwide from shanghai to antens, barcelona to mexico city. >> what could be more fun than exploring a city's food culture? let's say it's a self-interested mission driven by the desire to have fun and eat good food. >> osgood: coming up...

there it is the pregnant lady. >> osgood: ... a perfect match? by sondre lerche ♪ " ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

we know peanut butter and jelly are a perfect match. can the same be said about a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? there are secrets to perfect food pairing. martha teichner has been talking with the experts. >> we're having a little fun here with peas and carrots. >> reporter: peas and carrots, say it fast and it sounds like one word. >> peas and carrots, old friends that have been on many dates dressed up a little differently this time. >> reporter: new york city chef wiley loves those classic match-ups, even if his restaurant w.d.50 is all about turning them inside out and upsidedown. >> here we've taken little carrots that we blanched in carrot juice. we've rolled them in freeze-dried pea powder. we call this dish carrots but it's really carrots in peas.

>> reporter: why do these pairing exists? >> some of it is a function of culture and geography. they're all friends, flavors and ideas that have been together for a long time. milk and cookies, bread and butter. >> reporter: lamb and mint. instead of the usual lamb and mint jelly, wiley uses candy canes. >> in here we have some crushed-up candy canes, a bit of fried rose mary and japannese bread crumbs. we've toasted it altogether. a pinch of salt. you'll see there's textures, temperatures, creamy, crunchy. bitter. a little bit of sweet from the candy. it's about establishing... your mouth likes things to be in balance. >> reporter: there's actually science to prove it. which you may be surprised to discover can be demonstrated with a philadelphia cheese steak. from the food truck parked outside the chemical senses center in -- where else --

philadelphia. >> astringency is defined as a dry, drawing, puckering sensation. >> reporter: marcia lynn is a sense ore scientist. she can tell you why something astringent like red wine goes so well with something high in fat, say, a cheese steak. >> the fat should be coating my palette. after taking another bite of this, i go right back to the wine. the wine should seem less bitter and less astrangent. >> reporter: and the cheese steak less fatty. in other words, the kind of balanced pairing your mouth likes. the idea that each bite or sip influences the next one -- that brings out the sweetness -- is called taste adaptation. consider that dynamic duo cookies and milk. >> it's a good combination, right?

>> reporter: but what about cookies and orange juice? that's sour. >> you've adapted to the sugar in the cookie. so the sourness is is revealed and the sweetness is suppressed. >> reporter: a bad pairing. and now for an odd pairing. you decide whether it's bad or good. "new york times" book reviewer dwight garner's favorite sandwich. not peanut butter and jelly. no! peanut butter and pickles. at an aptly named new york restaurant. it's called the pregnant lady. >> the pickle is a sort of nice almost sardonic change from the jelly. it meets the stoicness of the peanut butter in this ironic way. >> reporter: i've never heard stowic used in that context before quite frankly.

his recent article about p.b. and p. caused a minor sensation. >> this is a nice pickle in there. well? humble yet profound. >> reporter: but unlikely to replace peanut butter and jelly any time soon. >> yes, no? reporter: well, it isn't terrible. >> osgood: ahead, brownies with that certain something. ,,,,,,,,,

>> osgood: an ingredient you won't find in these brownies could become a growth industry in colorado and washington state following popular votes in those states. we said could because federal law still bans its use. just how should we refer to this controversial ingredient? let barry pederson count the ways. >> this is love. reporter: denver professional chef and restauranteur scott deraw makes a turkey chilly that he says is both satisfying and sometime you'lling to your appetite. >> right now what you want to do like anything else my

grandmother tells me, always taste your food. add a little as you go. at the end put your last bit of seasoning in. >> reporter: i would be afraid that i would lose my concentration. >> i'm the chef. i'm used to this so i can do the tasting. >> reporter: long-time advocates for marijuana use, scott and his wife and business partner wanda james now have something for which they are truly thankful. colorado voters recently approved a constitutional amendment that goes beyond allowing medical marijuana in their state. it legalizes pot for purely recreational use among adulls 21 and over. in this past election more coloradoians voted for legalizing pot than for president obama. >> we have had medical marijuana in colorado now for almost three years. what we have seen from that is tremendous amounts of revenue. that's why we've seen so many people vote to legalize marijuana here in colorado because the sky did not fall under medical marijuana. >> reporter: colorado's medical

dispensaries already offer a wide range of pot products: candies, cookies, even soft drinks. the chef's special elixir is made of butter or olive oil infused with marijuana. >> i'm going to put two teaspoons of olive oil. >> reporter: in terms of the strength? >> equivalent of 3 1/2 to four joints. >> reporter: with quality marijuana going up to $450 an ounce it is way more expensive than truffles or caviar or foie gras but scott says it's worth every penny for the effect if not the flavor. if you taste any of the can bus? >> i'll tell you right now. none whatsoever. >> reporter: of course, not everyone finds marijuana to be in good taste. growing, smoking or consuming it is still against federal law. but colorado advocates hope the feds will turn a blind eye to those who follow state law to the letter.

for their part, can i bus connoisseurs offer a few laws of their own for safe consumption: keep the raw ingredients and finished dishes safe lee away from children. don't dose the unsuspecting. and... >> make sure you're not on medication. any time you put something else in your system, if you have something else already in your system, it will affect it. >> reporter: it will have some effect or change the effect. >> exactly. reporter: the effects of eating marijuana are said to be gentler and longer lasting than from smoking it. with more and more americans warming up to pot use, dishes like scott's special pumpkin bisque may some day become a cherished part of the holiday tradition. >> it's an amazing way to get through thanksgiving for families that don't love and hug and embrace each other. it's usually a very joyous occasion. >> no leftovers.

osgood: up next... what's up? osgood: the height of canine cuisine. ♪ [ female announcer ] with depression, simple pleasures can simply hurt. the sadness, anxiety, the loss of interest. the aches and pains and fatigue. depression hurts. cymbalta can help with many symptoms of depression. tell your doctor right away if your depression worsens, you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide. antidepressants can increase these in children, teens, and young adults. cymbalta is not approved for children under 18. people taking maois or thioridazine or with uncontrolled glaucoma should not take cymbalta. taking it with nsaid pain relievers, aspirin, or blood thinners may increase bleeding risk. severe liver problems, some fatal, were reported.

signs include abdominal pain and yellowing skin or eyes. tell your doctor about all your medicines, including those for migraine and while on cymbalta, call right away if you have high fever, confusion and stiff muscles or serious allergic skin reactions like blisters, peeling rash, hives, or mouth sores to address possible life-threatening conditions. talk about your alcohol use, liver disease and before you reduce or stop cymbalta. dizziness or fainting may occur upon standing. simple pleasures shouldn't hurt. talk to your doctor about cymbalta. depression hurts. cymbalta can help. depression hurts. can it know when ite needs to be repaired? and when it doesn't? in industries like manufacturing and energy, they're using predictive analytics to detect signs of trouble helping some companies save millions on maintenance, because machines seek help before they're broken. and don't when they're not. that's what i'm working on.

i'm an ibmer. let's build a smarter planet. >> osgood: gus here is a shelter dog, a chihuahua jack russell mix. who is to say that a dog's life has to be a dog's life when it comes to food? certainly not the folks our rit a braver has been talking with. >> reporter: if you think gourmet food is just for people, you haven't met margaret bishop and her five dogs. >> they're my family. they're some of the most important relationships i have in my life. >> reporter: so she lovingly serves them special meals made from flash frozen raw food. she buys it directly from her neighbors, norman and carol king of marshal, virginia. who sell it right from their front porch freezer. >> you let loose a cat or a dog

in a grocery store or a supermarket, they're not going to the pet food aisle. they're going for that raw meat. in the butcher counter. >> reporter: it's a meat and veggie diet. >> we use kale, box choi, colonel ard greens. all kinds of good things. >> reporter: a health nut's dream. >> it is. eat up. >> reporter: the kings use only locally grown animals and produce. packaged in a nearby plant. advocates of the growing movement believe raw food is healthier for pets but others, including the american veterinary medical association, worn that handling raw meat could spread illnesses to humans. carol king says she's not concerned. >> we do encourage good hygiene. it's real he'll no different than if you serve chicken to your family. it's raw before you cook it. >> reporter: king says her

product is even safe for human consumption. still... >> you haven't eaten it yourself. >> i'm a vegetarian. reporter: but across the country, the staff at the honest kitchen in san diego digs right in, sharing test food items with their pooches, delicacies like dried mango, bananas, chicken and green beans. a pet nutritionist founded the company ten years ago after a raw food diet seemed to improve her own dog's health. >> i really began trying to think of a way that i could still continue feeding him a whole foods diet but make it in a format that was more simple to prepare. >> reporter: so she started creating formulas from dehydrated raw food. she now sells about $12 million worth each year. year. just add water and serve.

>> they're kind of ground to a pulp here. >> this is a little bit more of a finely ground one. it's a balance as to what is visually appealing to the owner and what is digest i believe for the pet. >> reporter: she's even got tea for dogs and, yes, raw food tends to be more expensive than the average. but she says the bottom line for her customers is that their dogs just eat it up. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

remember that old advertising slogan where is the beef? in french, that translates to (french) a question we've posed to david turecamo, our man in paris.

>> reporter: the latest craze in french dining. hamburger. yeah, the french used to think they were an american scourge: food without flavor or finesse. but they're beginning to see that even a hamburger can be gourmet. i mean just ask victor. he created a restaurant dedicated to the gourmet burger. he did his research criss-crossing america. >> i started in los angeles with a backpack. my only goal was to eat hamburgers. >> reporter: he had been open for a month and the wait for a table was 30 to 45 minutes. then there's another restaurant, a smoking truck. the first gourmet food truck ever in paris. the waiting time here? we're talking about a hamburger. the truck is the brain child of chris ten frederick from l.a. >> i tried to get the most authentic american burger possible. >> reporter: and the french find guilty pleasure eating with their hands. so what makes them gourmet?

well, victor worked with an artisan butcher in paris. together they developed >> to get the perfect patty. reporter: chris ten studied french cuisine in paris for several years before she created the smoking truck. >> the gastronomic plan. reporter: alexander is a food writer and author of hungry for paris, the book and the blog. in this district it's a very expensive part of paris. you get a burger, fries and a dessert. >> reporter: a little history. macdonald's arrived in the '70s. today outside of the united states, france is the biggest market for mcdonald's in the world. no, it's not always been a happy meal. in 1999 a farmer named jose

drove a tractor through a mcdonald's under construction. >> mcdonald's was a symbol of industrial food. >> reporter: okay. but this is one of the most celebrated french chefs in the world. about ten years ago at his restaurant in new york, he decided to prove that a burger could be more than just beef patties on a bun. >> i wanted my burger to be a cross between what french cuisine represents and what american cuisine represents as well. and i put inside meat braced, truffles, foie gras. we wrapped the ground meat around. >> reporter: so began new era for the burger only temporarily stalled by an old truck. >> the power steering went out. reporter: they couldn't get burgers curb side until the new truck arrived. >> we said we would start delivery, put it up on our facebook site. >> reporter: so with a fleet of

borrowed scooters and motor bikes, the occasional guest to make special deliveries. >> i think maybe american gas tron me is one of the most success quiet parts of american diplomacy. people like american food in france. >> osgood: just ahead... there's the date. it's already pass. ,,,,,,,,,,,,

>> osgood: most of us rely on expiration dates when we shop for food. many of us end up throwing out food we think is past its prime. two habits that provide food for thought according toker inmoriarty and tracy smith. we begin wither inmoriarty of "48 hours." >> reporter: they look like expiration dates. they even sound like them. sell by. use by. best if used by. >> i think most people think that when they see a date on

food, that's saying they can rely on it. true? >> not necessarily. when you see infant formula, baby food, that's something that is mandated by the government for safety reasons. but the rest of thing, it's really up the manufacturers' discretion. >> reporter: samantha cassidy of good housekeeping says those numbers printed on most foods can be misleading. >> here we have sell by november 19. so i don't know how long i can use this. >> reporter: once you open it, you have about 5 to 7 days on something fresh. >> reporter: eggs. now, this one says use by december 14. that's the most helpful to me. >> this is a "use by" that you don't actually have to use by. eggs will stay fresh, if you keep them in the coldest part of your refrigerator in the carton for three to five weeks past the "use by" date. >> reporter: the normal person who looks at this and it says use by november 14 they're going

to be afraid to use it past that day. why isn't this clearer? why have these dates if it means something different. >> this is where we fall short. the dates don't mean what people at home probably think that they mean. many other countries do have required food dating. europe and japan, et cetera. >> reporter: lisa sasson of new york university's department of nutrition food studies and public health says food dates are simply guidelines. >> but the truth is that the food dating that we have now is confusing at the least and maybe even misleading at the worst. >> you're right. especially if it's around the "use by" date, you need to use your senses. does it look different? does it taste different? is the texture different? if in doubt, throw it out. >> reporter: we cooked up two batches of instant cream of wheat. one expired in 1997.

>> so i can smell that that one is ran sid. it doesn't taste bad. it doesn't have any flavor. >> reporter: the other expires two years from now. this is how i remember having cream of wheat when i was growing up. mmm. a huge difference. >> a huge difference, right? reporter: the bottom line is there are no hard and fast rules for food dating. because most people don't want to take any chances, when food hits its expiration date, they just toss it. >> of course tossing it out has become a problem in itself. it's estimated up to 40% of food produced here goes right in the trash. do you see anything wrong with this? >> no. i'd call it a pretty close to perfect egg plant. >> i won't take any of this because it's white bread. >> reporter: you can be that picky? >> oh, yes. i can be as picky as anybody else. >> reporter: and janet can afford to be.

>> you can't beat it. reporter: she's no vai grant. she is a new york city high school teacher who got fed up with seeing supermarkets toss out good food. so for the past eight years she's been doing her shopping on street. >> 90% of what i eat is rescued food. >> reporter: food that comes from the garbage. >> that's right. reporter: and the pickings are anything but slim. >> you'll be impressed i think with these loafs. >> reporter: oh, my goodness. there's nothing wrong with this. it's actually still warm. >> reporter: even in a down economy, food is apparently still cheap and plentiful enough to waste. according to the natural resources defense council, americans throw away 165 billion dollars worth of food every year. that's about 20 pounds per person every month. and then there's the food that doesn't even make it to stores or homes.

on farms across the country, tons of perfectly good produce is routinely plowed under. >> there are a number of reasons why crops are left in the field but most often it's just that the farmers is the victim of his or her own success. they grow just a little bit too much or sometimes it grows too big for the box. there's a bunch left over here even. >> reporter: christy porter runs hidden harvest in california. her workers pick through harvested fields to salvage what's left over before the plows catch up with them. >> many times we've evennen dirt behind the plow in order to get the produce harvested. >> reporter: the rescue veggies are given away to local communities like this retirement village where they wait in line for food that otherwise would have gone to waste. >> green beans just picked this morning. >> reporter: and this recovery effort is really small potatoes, so to speak, compared to this one. >> everything else is one point. reporter: at loaves and

fishes in namerville, illinois, 75% of everything you see here was destined for the dumpster. now it's free for the needy. >> this is a good alternative to not eating. >> we're in the richest county in illinois. yet one in five kids will go hungry sometime this year. >> reporter: pete shaffer runs the northern illinois food bank. he makes deals with businesses like the illinois supermarket jane to donate less than perfect food instead of pitching it. how much of a difference does a bruised banana, a pepper that doesn't look so good, make in the life of somebody who is trying to put food on the table. >> if that's the only fruit or vegetable that you'll see that week, believe me, you're not looking at a bruce but a piece of heaven right there. >> reporter: last year the store gave away more than 7.6 million pounds. >> instead of this going to a landfill, this goes to hungry neighbors. we can solve it. >> reporter: you honestly think we can solve it.

>> absolutely. there's not a shortage of food in illinois or america. there's not a shortage of funds. it's just bringing the community together, getting them focused on this the issue and igniting . we can solve it. >> happy thanksgiving. reporter: so think about this while you're wrestling over the wish bone. in a world where just about everything is disposable, some things may be worth saving. >> nice, huh? osgood: next... i mean you get the okre and shrimp. >> osgood: a taste of new orleans with john goodman.

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it's changing the conversation. ♪ >> look at yourself. you are too fat. you have to go on a diet. >> you go on a diet. i'm going to dinner. >> food is on the menu on a special edition of sunday morning. here again is charles osgood. >> osgood: he made a name for himself playing roseanne barror's husband on tv. nowadays it's easy does it for john goodman who is is enjoying the good life in new orleans where michelle miller tracked him down. >> reporter: new orleans, louisiana. famous for music, food, and letting the good times roll. >> rock'n'roll. eporter: it hassles been home for the last 20 years to actor john goodman who has created more than 100

characters, funnier, sadder, smarter, and more graceful than you'd ever expect them to be. they're colorful, very intense, and yet not... they're like these walking oxymorons. >> like human beings. i think there's a lot of that in everybody. >> reporter: we sat down with john goodman at commander's palace, a new orleans landmark. >> it is globally recognized as one of the finest restaurants in the world. it's only three blocks down from my house. it is family. it's down home. i mean you get ocre and shrimp. >> reporter: you're a hollywood star. why did you decide new orleans would be home? >> the air carries music. the air carries the aroma of food. you can smell the river and the see. it's oh-la-la. >> reporter: that is what the critics are saying about john goodman these days. he's getting plenty of oscar buzz for his roles in two hit

movies. argo. >> you need a script. you need a producer. >> make me a producer. no, you're an associate producer at best. >> reporter: and flight. i'm going to live, baby girl. reporter: he plays harling mays, pilot denzel washington's drug dealer. why on earth would you want to play him? >> denzel washington's character and i had a lot of the same problems. i had a lot of the same problems that harling does. you want to be everybody's buddy. harling looked like he stopped progressing around 1973. >> you're a hero, man. you will never pay for another drink as long as you live. >> reporter: goodman himself stopped drinking five years ago. >> if i don't pick up the first drink i'm fine. >> reporter: not chasing that deem on. >> yeah. let the deem onchase me. they can knock all they want. i'm not home. but i'm learning the important things in life. >> reporter: which are? which are petting my dog, saying hi to my wife, looking at

this beautiful city, just little things that i was just missed. i just slept through for 30 years. >> reporter: anna beth must be something else. >> she must be. reporter: anna beth is his wife, a louisiana native. and one of goodman's reasons for moving to the biggiesy. their 22-year-old daughter molly is an aspiring film maker. >> she just does stuff that i'd be too lazy or wouldn't have the imagination to do. >> reporter: sounds like you were a good father. >> the jury is still out on that. i could have been a lot better. i'll put it that way. but the way things look now, i don't think i did too much damage. >> reporter: john goodman grew up in st. louis, the son of a postal worker. his father died when he was two. his mother, virginia ruse, worked lots of jobs to provide for her three children. >> she did what she had to do to get by. yes, i miss her. i was glad i could do stuff for

her at the end of her life. >> reporter: i'm sure you did something every day of her life. >> she pretty much trolled the line at the grocery store going, do you know who my son is? >> do i have to spell it out for you? p.m.s. >> reporter: perhaps his working class roots made him a natural to play dan conner, roseanne's husband a her hit tv show one of the most watched in the nation for nearly a decade. >> he's got her. 1, 2, 3. do you quit. >> one more. 4. roseanne always had one thing on the head. she said just because we're poor doesn't make us stupid. >> you were in the bathroom putting on a fresh coat of white lipstick. >> you were out on the pay phone bragging to your buddies. >> i still do that. you know what i heard? what? that you told one of my colleagues you had a crush...

huge crush, in fact she was in love with you. is john goodman blushing? >> yeah. i'm a cheap blusher. >> reporter: and a sought-after character actor particularly by the cohen brothers in their dark comedies beginning with "raising arizona." then an affable insurance salesman in barton fink. >> my name is charlie me owes. reporter: a.k.a. serial killer mad man monk. >> charlie, why me? because you don't listen. they started writing these characters specifically for me. they seemed to see in me something that i could bring to these characters, mostly i think it's just like a fat guy who is really loud. >> reporter: the loudest? it's not the issue here, dude. i'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, dude.

across this line you do not... also, dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. asian-american, please. >> come on in, y'all. reporter: what are you like? i don't know. i'm finding out. in the five years i've been off booze and the other stuff, i'm starting to find out. i'm kind of starting to like me. >> reporter: are you ready for a little nibble? >> i'm ready. reporter: to show how much she likes john goodman, commander's palace owner present him with one of fleece' most coveted prizes. >> the key to the back door. and it works. you can come in the back door whenever you want. >> this is unbelievable. thank you. >> the contest is on. osgood: next. could come on, bill. you can do it. >> osgood: bill geist meets his

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>> osgood: down in texas some meat lovers are staking a claim to a dubious distinction. while to the north in wisconsin there's proof positive a classic spirit is back in favor. bill geist and rebecca jarvis have been on the road. first bill geist. >> reporter: you start seeing these alluring billboards hundreds of miles before you reach amarillo texas. by then you're hungry enough to eat a cow. that's about what you get at the big texan steak ranch. >> this is a big 72-ounce steak. reporter: when you order the shocking 72-ounce slab of sirloin. >> good luck! reporter: it's free if you eat it all. in an hour on a stage in front

of fellow patrons and the world via web cam. >> we got a 72-ounce challenger here to. >> reporter: the big eaters come from near and far. >> it's going well. reporter: bill from nebraska. do you think you're going to make it? >> yes. reporter: and from the tiny country of san marino. >> we get anywhere from three to six guests a day that will try the 72-ounce steak. about seven people before a winner. >> reporter: he owns the big texan with his brother bobby say few defeat the meat. >> they just don't understand that they're going to hit that wall. we call it the steak stair because they get that bulging look in their eyes like what in the world am i doing to myself? >> i just got to take a break.

reporter: these two fell a few pounds short. big victor on his way home to albuquerque decided to take a shot. oh, my gosh. so did i. >> the contest is on. reporter: turns out it's a complete steak dinner with potato, salad, shrimp and a roll. when you think about it,... >> come on, bill. you can do it. >> reporter: victor got off to a fast start. i think i've hit the wall. the wall of meat. i stopped before it was too late. this is there for a reason. after two-and-a-half pounds, not too shabby. and victor came close but the clock ran out. in the 50 years since bobby and danny's father opened the big texan, about 55,000 have taken

the challenge and about 8500 have won. is human record is an astounding eight minutes 52 seconds. the overall record, however, is held by this siberian tiger that was brought into the restaurant on a dog leash. this time 90 seconds. this mecca of meat has become an international draw, practically a must-see on a tour of america. >> when they come through the texas panhandle this is how they're seeing texas. if you go to hawaii you want to see a girl in a grass skirt. you come to the texas panhandle you want to see a cow boy on the horseback and big steaks and big cowboys. >> reporter: a bus load of young australians came in. four of them joining a fellow from journey in this sirloin shootout. >> the last 15 minutes so cheer them on. come on. >> reporter: all gave in to the mammoth meat. all but one.

jeff ferreira ate on. tension mounted. excitement built. >> eat that meat! reporter: easier said than done. when jeff grabbed that baked potato with little time left, the crowd went wild. jeff, the roll. don't forget the roll. the roll is in. jeff is swallowing. he's done it. ( cheers and applause ) a taste of victory that jeff will probably be tasting for a long, long time. >> this is rebecca jarvis just off the coast of wisconsin across a choppy stretch of lake michigan called death door

passage, washington island, home to about 660 residents and a lot of these. >> they are indigenous to this area. i would say that most of the island has some junipers somewhere on the proper. >> reporter: ronald dutch is an agricultural scientist who is intent on putting the aromatic junipers to good use. >> inside the barrier is the essential oil that is used for medicinal purposes and used to flavor gin >> reporter: more specifically they're the key ingredient in death's door gin. distillery owner brian ellison uses hundreds of pounds of fresh washington island juniper berries to flavor his award-winning spirit. >> the main components of our gin, wheat and barrely. for the botanicals that go into the gin, juniper and coriander

>> reporter: with his gleaming copper still, alison and death's door gin are at the forefront of a gin revival >> there are 170 gins sold in the united states. there were four when i started teaching about gin in the late 1980s >> reporter: steve olsen is a cocktail historian in new york city. >> the word gin comes from the word y >> nefra which means juniper because gin by definition is supposed to be a juniper-flavored we have ranch. ranch... beverage >> reporter: as early as the 13th century the dutch were infusing spirits with juniper into a liquor. by the 1700s it had made its way to england where gin, as it became known, was the drink of the masses. the gin of the time was twice as potent as its modern counter part and often consumed by the

pint full. the spirit was quickly demoniz demonized, blamed for the plight of the underclass, almost outlawed >> at this time period the death rate exceeds the birth rate in london. this is terrible >> reporter: people are die joog it's attributed to alcohol >> reporter: but today gin is getting its good name back. what would you say is the highest point in history for gin? >> i would say they are at this point right now. on the precipice of the most exciting time of gin and of cocktails in general. >> reporter: brian ellison agrees. is it cool to drink gin right now? >> yeah, i guess the cool kids are ordering gin >> reporter: cool as the chilly breeze off washington island. ♪

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an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. >> osgood: goo-goo clusters are a favorite candy all over the south and this year goo-goo lovers have a special reason to take comfort. count anna warner among them. >> reporter: it starts with a creamy layer of marshmallow nouget fused to a cleeming sheet of carmel which is spread into ribbons, chopped, bathed in milk chocolate, coated with peanuts

and then more chocolate. ♪ goo-goo >> reporter: and presto, you have a legendary southern treat. ♪ i run out and get you a goo-goo >> reporter: the goo-goo cluster which folks in nashville tennessee have been making and eating for 100 years. >> you have a brand that's 100 years old, that's a very rare and unique thing that needs to be celebrated in and of itself >> here's the actual end product reporter: lance cane is executive vice president of the standard candy company which makes goo-goo clusters. the story he says begins around 1900 with a peddler named howell campbell selling goods including candy from his horse and buggy. he started experimenting with his product. in 1912, he made con feksary history. >> this is the first combined element candy bar invented in america

>> reporter: meaning like layers? >> you had chocolate bars. you had to havey bars but you didn't have chocolate, marshmallow, peanut, caramel all incorporated into one item >> reporter: that's right. before the clark bar, the milky way, snickers and the rest. and goo-goos quickly became a part of every southern child's dna >> i wished i there was some way that i could tell the folks who haven't tried a goo-goo just how good they are >> reporter: its fame grew in large part because of its connection with another emerging nashville institution: the grand ole opry with country stars like mini-pearl and lefter flats singing its praises. for decades, the candy was hand made. today the plant can churn out 130,000 per day. to celebrate its 100th birthday more than 40 local chefs have whipped up an assortment of recipes that explore the many wonders of the

goo-goo >> this is homemade marshmallow fluff >> reporter: at the cafe, another nashville favorite, pastry chef alice a huntsman created a goo-goo pie >> i just kind of winged it. marshmallow, chocolate. that works for me. >> reporter: not surprisingly, it worked for the customers as well. >> these are good. ♪ if you love me again, get some... ♪ >> reporter: for loveless cafe manager, the appeal of this much beloved candy is simple >> i think there's a simplicity in all great southern foods. goo-goos are like that. there's not a whole lot going on. no springs. no fancy drizzles on top. it's a goo-goo >> reporter: wouldn't be nashville without it >> certainly not. ♪ everything is all right

across america this weekend folks are selling twinkies at

truffle-like prices. that's because hostess has announced it's halting production >> is it possible in this noble constitutional republic that corporate interests intent on breaking every last union have stooped so low as to cancel production of the hostess twinkie, the devil dog and the ring ding? has capitalism sunk this far? will the president bail out hostess as he did general motors? if wonder bread is no longer there to build strong bodies 12 ways, who will? the dunn kin munchkin and who is the heartless corporate ceo who pulled the plug on the yodel, mr. burns from the simpsons? we lost our shoe factories, our garment industry and our electronics businesses. now we're losing our snack cakes. the only person who stands to gain from this is little debby. here's what really gets my goat.

the health food fanatics who are already dancing on the devil dog's coffin. last night i got an email from a skinny gluten-free relative. ding dong, the ding dong is dead. this came in while i was stock piling snowballs like a survivalist on y2k. it never fails to amaze me, people who smoke, who drink alcohol, who drive gaz gusalers, even people who fly around on private jets act like you're clubbing a baby seal if you unwrap a yodel. we need to bring back the distinction between mortal and venal sins but first let's bring back the hostess cup cake. >> osgood: some thoughts from our friend bill flannagan. now to bob scheiffer in washington for a look at what's ahead on face the nation. good morning, bob >> schieffer: good morning, charles. we're going to directly to the middle east this morning to get the latest on this situation again israel and gaza. we'll have all of it on "face

the nation." >> osgood: thank you, bob scheiffer. we'll be watching. next we're here on sunday sun morning >> what's the mood you're trying for there? >> relaxed. elegance, i guess. >> osgood: rit a braver talks with actor richard gere. know that when it comes to your investment goals, northern trust uses award-winning expertise to lead you through an interactive investment process. adding precision to your portfolio construction by directly matching your assets and your risk preferences against your unique life goals. we call it goals driven investing. your life has a sense of purpose. shouldn't your investments? ♪ expertise matters. find it at northern trust. woman: oh! tully's. how do you always have my favorite coffee? well, inside the brewer, there's a giant staircase. and the room is filled with all these different kinds of coffee and even hot cocoa. and you'll always find your favorite.

woman #2: with so many choices, keurig has everyone's favorite. i just press this button. brew what you love, simply. keurig. >> sunday morning's moment of nature is sponsored by... >> osgood: we leave you this morning near cape canaveral florida where everyday is a feasting day for wild pigs.

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